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Assembly
of First Nations
I.
Introduction
Assembly
of First Nations (AFN), primary lobbying organization for
all Status Indians (aboriginal people in Canada designated
by the Indian Act as Indians).
Formed in 1982 by the chiefs of most of Canada's Indian
bands, the AFN promotes specific goals that the bands agree
upon. Canada's Indian bands generally identify themselves
as First Nations or parts of First Nations. The intent of
the organization is to give voice and direction to issues
confronting First Nations across the country.
II.
Organizational Structure
The AFN's structure is set out in the organization's
charter, adopted in 1985. The basic component of the
AFN is the First Nations-in-Assembly, which convenes
annually. Chiefs from each of the more than 600 Indian
bands in Canada bring concerns to the assembly meetings,
and the assembly debates possible actions. Approval
by at least 60 percent of the membership is necessary
for an AFN resolution.
The
AFN is led by an executive committee, consisting of
a national chief and ten vice chiefs. The executive
committee implements AFN resolutions, including leading
lobbying efforts and producing reports. The national
chief, elected every three years by the AFN members,
is the AFN's official spokesperson. As spokesperson,
the national chief comments on government policy and
programs that affect First Nations peoples, as well
as on national issues. The ten vice chiefs represent
the regions of New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island,
Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, Québec and Labrador, Ontario,
Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, the
Yukon Territory, and the Northwest Territories. The
vice chiefs are also elected every three years. The
vice chiefs determine policy and direction for the AFN,
bringing issues to the members for debate, discussion,
and resolution. The executive committee and its support
staff are known as the AFN secretariat.
Other
important bodies in the organization include the Council
of Elders and the Confederacy of Nations. The Council
of Elders develops rules and procedures for the AFN.
The Confederacy of Nations comprises representatives
from each of the ten regions, including leaders of regional
First Nations organizations and delegates. The number
of delegates is determined by the population of First
Nations people in a region: 1 delegate for each 10,000
First Nations people. The Confederacy meets twice a
year to review and clarify First Nations-in-Assembly
resolutions and to address any issues that come up between
the annual assembly meetings. The Priorities and Planning
Committee recommends actions based on reports from 15
commissions that deal with issues such as health, education,
spiritual development, treaties, and finance.
The
federal government (through a number of different departments,
including the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern
Development) provides the bulk of the AFN's funding,
with individual bands contributing additional money.
AFN membership is voluntary, but nearly all band chiefs
belong.
III.
History
A. Early Indian Organizations
After Canadian Confederation in 1867, aboriginal groups
formed many different local, regional, and national
organizations to respond to white domination. However,
communication among these early First Nations organizations
was difficult because the Indian land reserves (lands
set aside for Indian bands) were separated by great
distances. Local First Nations leaders lacked the funds
for the travel necessary to meet and develop a viable
national organization. In addition, the government often
interfered with Indian organizations. It sometimes removed
organization leaders it considered a threat to federal
Indian policy. The government also co-opted other First
Nations leaders by appointing them to positions within
the Department of Indian Affairs.
In
1961 the National Indian Council (NIC) was established
to represent most Canadian aboriginal groups. Aboriginal
groups in Canada include Status Indians, non-Status
Indians, Inuit, and Métis (people of mixed European
and indigenous heritage). However, the aboriginal groups
had conflicting interests. Some Indian groups without
land reserves wanted them while others did not, and
many Status Indians opposed attempts by non-Status Indians
to gain government recognition and benefits. The NIC
split in 1968. The National Indian Brotherhood (NIB)
formed to represent only Status Indians. Soon after,
the Métis formed the Canadian Métis Society (later renamed
the Native Council of Canada), and the Inuit
formed several different organizations.
B.
The Formation of the AFN
The NIB struggled with internal and external problems
in the 1970s and early 1980s. A growing number of First
Nations people objected to representation by the NIB,
whose members were appointed not elected. Many First
Nations people believed the NIB was not accountable
to the chiefs they had elected. In addition, the NIB
lost important government funding because it aggressively
lobbied against some federal government initiatives.
In
1979 hundreds of First Nations chiefs met in London,
England, and called for the establishment of a new organization
of which they themselves would be members. The chiefs
issued a Declaration of First Nations in 1980 in which
they stated that the First Nations were sovereign nations
within a larger nation. The First Nations intended to
achieve self-government through negotiation with the
federal government. In 1982, at the NIB general assembly
in Penticton, British Columbia, the NIB became the AFN,
with membership open to the chiefs of all of the Status
Indian bands in Canada.
C.
The Fight over Aboriginal Rights
In 1982 Canada revised its constitution. In response
to intense lobbying by indigenous groups, the government
inserted clauses into the new constitution that recognized
aboriginal rights. The constitution acknowledged a group
of people called “aboriginals” that included Métis,
Inuit, Status Indians, and non-Status Indians, and it
affirmed “existing aboriginal and treaty rights.” However,
the constitution neither listed nor defined these rights.
The provincial premiers planned to resolve this and
other aboriginal issues at a series of meetings known
as the First Ministers Conferences.
From
1983 to 1987 the AFN and other aboriginal lobbying groups
met with the premiers and federal officials at four
First Ministers Conferences. The aboriginal organizations
found themselves at odds, and conflicts even arose among
the bands represented by the AFN. Some provinces refused
to consider aboriginal self-government. No agreements
resulted from the conferences, and aboriginal people
were angry and disappointed.
Shortly
after the final First Ministers Conference failed, the
Canadian government was forced to deal with separatist
demands from Québec, which had never signed the 1982
constitution. The premiers promptly met and drafted
the Meech Lake Accord, a proposed amendment to the constitution
that recognized Québec as a distinct society. Despite
lobbying by the AFN, the new agreement ignored aboriginal
self-government issues. The accord failed in 1990, due
in great part to opposition from Elijah Harper, a Cree
representative in the Manitoba provincial legislature.
In
1992 the federal government, with input from the provinces,
drafted the Charlottetown Accord. This new proposed
amendment to the constitution included special status
for Québec, and it provided for aboriginal self-government
after negotiations with the federal government. Although
the AFN initially opposed the accord, it ultimately
supported it. The Charlottetown Accord was presented
to Canadians in a national referendum in October 1992
and they rejected it.
IV.
Present Policy and Prospects
The AFN continues to push for self-government, sovereignty,
and self-determination for Status Indians. It also works
with other national aboriginal organizations on issues
of common interest. The AFN promotes its views with
the Canadian government, United Nations commissions,
and other international bodies. Historically, the AFN
has focused on the issues of rural, reserve-based Indians,
including land claims, treaty rights, and local self-determination.
As nearly half of the Canadian Status Indians now live
in cities, the AFN is beginning to deal with the social,
economic, and political issues facing urban Indians.
***
Contributed
By: James S. Frideres, B.S., M.A., Ph.D. Professor
of Sociology, University of Calgary. Author of Native
Peoples in Canada: Contemporary Conflicts.
"Assembly
of First Nations," Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia
2001 http://encarta.msn.com
© 1997-2001 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
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